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Bariatric Surgery Was the Answer for Annie

Joy Pape, RN

Aug 1, 2006

Than & Now

“I can bend over and paint my own toenails now,” says Annie, who had bariatric surgery on February 5, 2005.

Annie had tried everything to lose weight—dieting, counting carbs, exercise, —and she was honest—she even has her food logs to prove it.

“No matter what I did, I just couldn’t lose enough to make a difference in my diabetes management. I got so frustrated. It’s tough to follow a program when you don’t see results.”

A Discussion About Bariatric Surgery

In Annie’s case, nothing really worked. Her cousin Roger showed his love for her by having a serious discussion with her about bariatric surgery. After speaking with her doctor, they felt comfortable enough for her to undergo the surgery.

“It is certainly not an easy process. They check you from head to toe. Not an inch of my body was left unchecked. From my mental status, to all of my working parts. My surgeon told me that my diabetes would start improving immediately [after having the surgery], and it did.”

Have to Admit, It’s Getting Better

Annie is just as honest now as she was before. She does just about everything her healthcare professionals instruct her to do. She eats her protein foods first, then her vegetables and fruit. She admits there are times she has overeaten or eaten things that her now-smaller stomach can’t handle.

Although Annie knows that bariatric surgery is not for everyone, she knows that it worked for her.

Annie’s problem
“When I quit smoking, I gained a lot of weight. It became a vicious circle, trying to lose and gaining back more than I lost.”

Annie’s reason
“I knew I would die [if I didn’t lose the weight]. I wasn’t ready. I have two grandkids, my daughter and my husband to do things with.”

What was in Annie’s way?
I couldn’t move much. I was hungry right after I ate a meal, and of course, I would eat.

Method
Bariatric surgery—the roux en y procedure. “I do the things that I’m supposed to do, and I move more.”

Before making changes

	October 1, 2005	Present
Weight	344 pounds	236 pounds
BMI	59	41
A1C	8.4%	5.7%
Average blood glucose	200 mg/dl–250 mg/dl	85 mg/dl–95 mg/dl
Lipid Profile
Total cholesterol	188 mg/dl	199 mg/dl
Triglycerides	210 mg/dl	192 mg/dl
HDL	49 mg/dl	45 mg/dl
LDL	97 mg/dl	116 mg/dl

Bariatric Surgery: The Operation Diet

Jun 28, 2007

Categories: A1c Test, Bariatric Surgery, Blood Glucose, Diabetes, Diabetes, Food, Lipid Problems, Losing weight, Personal Stories, Weight Loss

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Bariatric Surgery Was the Answer for Annie

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